On Dragon Wings
by DragonGirlYumi
Summary: Just another case of a girl from Earth being sent to Pern. But is it like all the others? When fiction becomes reality and nothing is ever certain, what can our herione do but try and stay afloat in a world suddenly altered beyond her understanding.


**On Dragon Wings**

**Summary:** Mari is just your average young adult trying to make a life for herself in a busy and fast-paced city. But when a near fatal accident sends Mari into a world that only exists on her computer screen, she must learn to survive in a strange world while at the same time learning what it truely means to be a Dragonrider of Pern.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Dragonriders of Pern or the idea of Rukai Weyr. All I own are the OCs mentioned that are mine and nothing else. Most of these characters are of my own creation so please ask permission if you'd like to use them :

These characters belong to the following people: Dracie, Rust, and Charm of Rukai Weyr and; though only just mentioned in the story and not really actively a part of it, are still used specifically with their permission.

Tay'dis and Bronze Kaytath  
Azelle and Gold Irazeth  
Lerato and Green Nikiath

**~RUKAI WEYR IS THE BRAIN-CHILD OF ANOTHER AND THE USE OF IT IS USED WITH PERMISSION~**

**--Notes:--**

Thoughts: _'WORDS'_  
Speaking: "WORDS"  
Dragon Speech: _**WORDS**_

**--BREAK--**

**Chapter One:** _A Strange Impression_

A warm summer day passed by without incident as Mari made her way home from work. After working all day at Wishful Dreams Bookstore; despite liking her job and the people she worked with, Mari was always glad when her day ended and she could go home. Today was especially exciting for her because one of her online weyrs was expecting a hatching today and one of her beloved characters was going to be Standing. As excited as she was though, Mari knew that at the end of the day it was all pretend and that nothing so exciting would ever happen to her in her own boring life. So lost in though as she was, Mari didn't notice the oncoming semi as she crossed the street until she heard the loud honking of its horn. As she turned with wide eyes to the sound, she found herself rooted to the spot. Then, it was too late and all became darkness.

Some time seemed to pass because when Mari next woke, it was to an almost pitch black sky and the sound of rain overhead. As she sat up slowly, still dizzy from her ordeal, she realized a few things. First was the fact that she was alive and apparently uninjured. The second thing was that she was completely soaked and didn't have a single clue as to where she was. Taking a few minutes to check herself over to make sure she really wasn't hurt, Mari finally pushed herself up and took a moment to look around. Everywhere around her people were moving around as if something important was going on. Hoping one of them could help her, Mari approached the nearest person she could catch and called out to them. "Excuse me? I'm sorry to bother you but I'm a bit lost. I was wondering if you could tell me where I am so I can find my way home."

The person, a blond haired young man that looked a bit older than she was; and was definitely taller, stopped and turned to face her with an odd expression on his face. "You must be new here. Welcome to Rukai Weyr. Sorry to say we're a bit busy at the moment but if you'll just come with me, I'm sure we can find someone to help you." Finally the young man smiled. "You must be one of the new candidates. Come on, Irazeth's clutch has already started hatching and we wouldn't want you to miss it. Afterwards, we'll see what we can do to help you."

Mari opened her mouth to argue but instead her dark mahogany eyes widened in a sense of shock. Had he just said the words _'Rukai Weyr'_, _'Candidate'_, _'Irazeth'_ and _'Hatching'_? What on Earth?! Shaking her head to clear it, the young woman realized she had to be dreaming. After all, Rukai was just a place on the internet and dragons weren't real. She recongized the name Irazeth though. That was the name of the golden dragon who's clutch she'd been waiting on because her only candidate; a feisty young woman named Aria (whose appearence she'd based loosely off of her own), was due to Stand in the hatching. So he was talking about Rukai Weyr's newest Weyrwoman's dragon and her clutch. _'This just can't be happening, it has to be some sort of bad dream or a delusion caused by the drugs the doctors are using on me in the hospital. At least it means that semi didn't kill me; but what a weird thing to dream about.'_ Mari pushed at a strand of her wet black hair that was currently stuck to her forhead and clear confusion filled her dark mahogany eyes. She had to get herself out of this dream; because it was bound to get weird soon and Mari hated dreams like that. Or maybe she should just go along with it and see what happened. Mentally nodding to herself, she finally pulled herself out of her inward musings to regaurd the young man still standing next to her.

As if sensing her hesitation and confusion, the young man next to her smiled and patted her wet head soothingly. "Don't worry so much, you'll do fine. I know you must be miserable in those wet clothes but the hatching has started and there's nothing to be done for it now." Giving her a quick once-over, the young man paused in clear suprise at her blue jeans and crimson sleeveless halter with the words 'I'm no Angel.' written in silver lettering on it. Finally his gray eyes settled back onto her face and he again spoke. "Though your style of dress is rather odd." He offered her his hand then. "Come then, I'll take you to the Sands. Good luck um..."

Mari shook her head again then just decided to go with the flow of this dream. "It's Marina, but everyone calls me Mari, and thanks for your help." She took the man's offered arm and decided just to go with this dream of hers. After all, at 24, she was more than too old to Impress anyways and afterwards she was sure she'd wake up in a hospital some where with her family happy to see her.

The young man smiled brightly at hearing her name. "Marina is a beautiful name, you should use it. I am D'ryden, rider of brown Loweth. It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am. Now we need to get going, hear the dragons humming. The eggs are about to hatch and they certainly won't wait on you to do so. I'll calll Loweth to take us."

Mari opened her mouth to say something then closed it as she was met face to face with a real live dragon.

The brown was huge and landed just next to the pair before nuzzling his rider and looking at Mari critically. Finally he seemed to see what he was looking for and addressed her. _**You will do very well this hatching, Little One. I am Loweth and I wish you luck. This day may change your life forever. Now let Mine help you onto my back so we may go. The hatching awaits.**_

D'ryden grinned at his dragon's words then effortlessly vaulted onto the brown's offered foreleg before hopping onto his back. He then leaned over and pulled Mari up behind him. "Hold onto me, Marina. Let's go Loweth!"

Mari grabbed tightly onto D'ryden before she let out a squeek of suprise and fear as Loweth took a running start then vaulted up and over the side of a cliff; pumping his great wings to get them airborne. Mari was speechless as she looked out over the weyr she'd only come to know through roleplaying. Rukai was beautiful and beyond anything she could have imagined. She wondered, briefly, what other suprises awaited her in this dream of hers. She didn't have to long to wonder though as barely a minute later Loweth decended onto the hatching sands and D'ryden was helping her off the dragon's back. Giving her a gentle shove towards the other candidates, D'ryden flashed her one more reasurring smile before he and Loweth went to find a place of their own to watch.

Mari rubbed her cold hands on her wet blue jeans and pushed her misbehaving black hair away from her mahogany colored eyes so she could see. What she saw was another amazement. The golden queen Irazeth stood nearby, her shimmering form standing out starkly in the darkening sky. At her side was a tall woman that looked like she was either ill or in a bad mood. Nearby was a large bronze dragon and his rider and Marina realized that there was only one pair they could be; Kaytath and Tay'dis. For a moment she paused, completely speechless over seeing the characters one of her online friends had created. Shaking her head to clear it and giving Irazeth and Azelle a wary look, she decided that she'd play it safe around the large dragon. This made Mari decide to stay well away from the pair so she didn't get eaten or something. Mari then moved quietly to the other candidates and stood with them. She knew she looked older when she noticed the looks she was getting. _'Seriously, it's not like someone older hasn't Impressed before. Lerato was twenty-three I believe when she Impressed to Nikiath. I know I'm even older than she is, but it's not like D'ryden gave me much of a choice. Sheesh, and the people here are supposed to be nice. Guess that's out of the question. I don't even recongize most of these candidates; a few of them sure, I even see my Aria. But a lot of these candidates aren't ones I've seen around Rukai before. So where did they come from? Stupid, confusing dream.'_ Though it was childish, Mari stuck her tongue out at the other candidates causing them to turn away from her to focus on the hatching once more.

The humming around her increased in tempo and intensity and finally the moment came. The first egg cracked open. Out of the egg came a burly looking bronze that passed all by to Impress to a boy on the far sides of the sands. Others came then, Blues, a Brown, another Bronze, a bickering pair of Greens, and Marina even got to see her own beloved character Aria Impress to a beautiful Gold. But none chose Mari herself. Unsure rather to me releived or disappointed, Mari watched at the number of people around her became less and less until only a handful remained. Shrugging to herself she headed for the edge of the sands in the hopes of waking herself up from the dream. With her back turned she didn't notice the final egg of the hatching crack to reveal a pale coppery bronze colored form. She didn't notice how the dragonet ignored all the boys in the area. She didn't hear the little one keen in alarm about not being able to find the one he wanted. Nor did she hear the mourning keen from his golden mother. As she made it to the exit and finally turned back to look one last time, she did hear the mournful keen from the young dragonet turn to one of joy.

Looking up at the dragonet she noticed he was charging straight for her. "Go on, little one, the boys are over there." She tried to shoo himback but nothing worked. As the remaining male candidites ran over and surrounded the little dragonet, his eyes shifted to a violent scarlet and he started pushing them away. Mari backed away so that she would get hurt but stopped when she heard a mournful and suprisingly feminine voice fill her mind.

_**Please, please, I beg of you. Do not leave your Tuneith behind! I have been waiting for you for so long. These others get in my way Marina'Mine, please make them leave!**_

Mari's eyes widened and she began to push the boys aside. When one of them shoved her out of the way, Tuneith snarled in anger and attacked the boy. Mari did the first thing that occured to her. "Tuneith! Stop this now!" Immediately the young dragon stopped and the boys moved to get out of the way of the angry young dragonet. Every eye in the place was on her; most of them looked angry, others disgusted. A woman had Impressed to a Bronze dragon, and worse yet, the unfortunete creature was female. Rukai Weyr was now looking at its first female Bronze dragon. The resulting reactions were almost instantaneous. The remaining male candidates glared at her and looked over to whom she knew was the Weyrleader. "She can't Impress to that dragon! She's a girl, it's not fair and she's too old besides that!" Mari glared at the insults and Tuneith growled. She couldn't completely blame them though for their rude comments. After all, she had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere for this hatching and hadn't even been dressed appropriately. That she wasn't from anywhere near was obvious just by a single glance at her. Still... She hated how they were treating her. But what could she do?

The mummers caused the bronzerider in question to look up; not that the man hadn't been paying attention, as this brood had come from his own bronze, Kaytath had been ensuring he kept a close watch. The appearance of another Bronze was always welcome, but having the bronze turn out female was odd... What made it even more so was that she chose a female rider. Almost instantly the cries of outrage were heard; and nearly all eyes drifted to him. A quiet chuckle escaped him as he and Kaytath privately exchanged a few words, but he got to his feet, his golden brown eyes falling on the new Bronzerider pair. Odder things had happened, he had see a Gold Impress to a 'lad' and had seen a male Green – and yet none of that – nor the angery crowd changed his mind. Tay'dis nodded to the young pair. "You best take care of her, Rider, the dragon is always right." His Bronze, Kaytath, rumbling in approval. His daughter had chosen well.

Mari and Tuneith turned as the Weyrleader spoke about the matter. Mari's entire form gave a shocked jolt as the word _'Rider'_ drifted through her mind. Tuneith, on the other hand, crooned happily that her sire thought she'd chosen well. Now if only these others would realize this, things wouldn't be so very difficult for all concerned. Mari finaly looked down at the dragonet by her side and the moment she layed eyes on the coppery bronze colored dragonet all thoughts of the cruel words being thrown at her and Tuneith were forgotten as suddenly her entire world was changed. Dropping down next to the Bronze, she couldn't stop the tears in her eyes. "Tuneith, Tuneith, I'm so sorry I almost left you alone. Forgive me?"

The Bronze crooned warmly at her, her eyes beginning to turn from the red and orange of anger to the rainbow glory of Impression. _**Of course your Tuneith forgives you, Marina'Mine. I love you, you are Mine and I am Yours. You did not know I was waiting for you so you could not have known to stay. The coppery bronze colored dragonet let out a low crooning sound at her then nuzzled Marina towards the waiting food. Now then, since we've settled that, how about you take your Tuneith and feed her?**_

Mari barely stopped the tears that came to her eyes at the warm voice in her head. "Yes, yes, Tuneith! I'll feed you now. We'll get through this, you and me. As long as we're together."

The Bronze dragonet crooned her agreement and the pair left the sands together to the sounds of a weyr in chaos. Tuneith didn't care that she'd just chosen the first female Bronzerider. To her, Marina was the one her soul belonged to, and no other.

Mari was also aware of the noise but it was still just buzzing past the sounds of Tuneith talking to her. She forgot for the moment that all of this might just be a dream and instead focused on the most wonderful dragon that waddled just beside her. She knew they'd have hardships, she knew things would be difficult for them. She just didn't care. Tuneith was Hers and she'd protect her with everything she had for as long as she lived.

**--BREAK--**

_So what do yall think, hmm? Like it? Hate it? Please review and be sure to keep an eye out for other parts in this series. Mari's journey isn't limited to just the world of Dragonriders of Pern; but most of the stories **CAN** stand-alone. Please **NO FLAMES** folks, it's just rude. This is one of my first tries in this genre so go easy on me._

**Next Chapter:** _Weyrling training begins as Mari slowly adjusts to life as a dragonrider. Several meetings occur that forcibly remind Mari as to where exactly she is and to the fact that she doesn't belong there. Will Tuneith be able to convince her to stay? And will she even have to? You'll have to read and find out._


End file.
